TN Prep Football

Powell (1-1, #4 AP 5A) @ Oak Ridge (1-0):  These teams are no longer region opponents, but this game looms as a large test for both teams early in the season. Their Week 1 win against Jefferson County was a step in the right direction, but a win over Powell vaults the Wildcats onto a shortlist of 5A title contenders. Maryville (2-0,#3 AP 6A) @ Bradley Central (2-0, #2 AP 6A): For the last 25 years, the Rebels have had a death grip on their district/region, winning 22 championships in a row. Bradley Central represents the biggest threat to that streak in recent memory, featuring 4 skill players with offers from Power 5 programs. It's the classic speed v. power match-up.  Beech (1-1, #8 AP 5A) @ Riverdale ( 1-1, #8 AP 6A): A contest of 2 teams that are eager to get back on the right track after tough losses to West TN programs. Both will play a physical brand of football but go different ways about it. Riverdale's passing attack v. Beech secondary will be a key matchup that could

Class 5A & 6A - Shelbyville surprised alot of people across their mid-state with their upset of Marshall County. It was a big step forward for a program that has had a tough couple of years. The big key in their win was defensive adjustments made at halftime. If they can continue that, Shelbyville should win 5-5A pretty easily and might. D able to make some noise in the postseason. - August 25th, 2023 will always be remembered fondly for those around the Brentwood program as they secured their first win over Brentwood Academy, 21-18. Combination of solid defense and a great performance by QB Baylor Hayes. Their win over BA gives the Bruins legitimacy as a 6A title contender  - In all the pre-season talk about Region 2-6A, Farragut has been a team largely ignored. That changed in Week 2 when the Admirals were able to grind Powell down for a 28-21 victory. Their upcoming Gans against West gives them a chance for se real momentum before they enter region play - Henry County's vaun

Class 6A 1.) Oakland (1-1). Next: @ Haywood  2.) Maryville (2-0). Next: @ Bradley Central  3.) Germantown (2-0). Next: @ Houston 4.) Bradley Central (2-0). Next: Maryville  5.) Brentwood (2-0). Next: @ Hendersonville  6.) Mt. Juliet (2-0). Next: @ Gallatin  7.) Collierville (2-0). Next: @ Bartlett  8.) Riverdale (1-1). Next: Beech 9.) Cleveland (2-0). Next: @ Walker Valley  10.) Bartlett (1-1). Next: Collierville  Class 5A 1.) Knoxville West (2-0). Next: Farragut  2.) Henry County (2-0). Next: Springfield  3.) Oak Ridge (1-0). Next: Powell 4.) Beech (1-1). Next: @ Riverdale  5.) Centennial (2-0). Next: @ Independence  6.) Powell (1-1). Next: @ Oak Ridge  7.) Munford (2-0). Next: Melrose  8.) Page (1-1). Next: Franklin  9.) Nolensville (2-0). Next: @ McGavock 10.) Hendersonville (2-0). Next: Brentwood  Class 4A 1.) Pearl-Cohn (2-0). Next: @ Creek Wood 2.) Greeneville (1-0). Next: Cherokee 3.) Elizabethton (2-0). Next: @ Grainger 4.) Upperman (2-0). Next: @ Macon County 5.) Haywood (2-0)

Let's get into some short analysis for Week 2 along with some picks.... Lipscomb Academy @ Saraland (AL): LA gets a second chance to score a impressive out of state win and thus one will be nationally televised. Saraland has a ton of starters getting P5 offers. They're not exactly IMG, but still impressive. Prediction: Lipscomb Academy  Oakland @ Center Grove (Ind ): Oakland travels north to Indiana to face a program that is much like itself, having also dominated Class 6A in their own state with 3 straight titles. The key matchup should be the Oakland secondary against Center Grove QB Tyler Cherry, who is committed to Duke. Prediction: Center Grove Riverdale @ Henry County: For the first time since 1998, a team from Rutherford County will face off against Henry Co. This is the first time these two programs have met, also notable that Riverdale HC Will Kriesky played at Henry County. Prediction: Riverdale Bearden @ Alcoa: For the 2nd week in a row, Alcoa faces off against a 6A

- One of the games that got my attention was Bartlett's 37-0 defeat at the hands of MUS. Alot of people considered Bartlett a contender ( maybe even the favorite prior to this game) to represent the West in the BlueCross Bowl. The Panthers still can be that team. Their matchup against Lausanne will be worth paying attention to. - QB's Thomas Santeel (Siegel) and Mason Baker ( Hendersonville) both had massive games Friday, accumulating over 1,000 yards of total offense ( Santeel v. Shelbyville,  Baker v. Gallatin). 2 names worth keeping an eye  - Knoxville West rode a stingy defense with just enough offense to secure a 14-10 victory over Bearden. Their offense is very much a work in progress, but they have the defense to mount a successful title defense.  - Powell and Page both had nice wins to start the season against Anderson County and Giles County respectively.  - The Chandler Tygard era at Cleveland got off to a good start with the Blue Raiders with a 49-36 win over a good

Class 6A 1.) Oakland  2.) Maryville   3.) Germantown  4.) Riverdale  5.) Bradley Central  6.) Brentwood  7.) Mt. Juliet  8.) Collierville  9.) Cleveland 10.) Bartlett Class 5A 1.) West 2.) Beech 3.) Powell 4.) Oak Ridge 5.) Henry County 6.) Page 7.) Centennial  8.) Munford 9.) Nolensville  10.) Hendersonville Class 4A 1.) Pearl-Cohn 2.) Anderson County  3.) Greeneville  4.) Elizabethton 5.) Red Bank 6.) Upperman 7.) Haywood 8.) Marshall County 9.) Hardin County 10.) South Gibson Class 3A  1.) Alcoa 2.) East Nashville  3.) Gatlinburg-Pittman  4.) Dyersburg  5.) Giles County 6.) Covington  7.) Westview  8.) Sweetwater 9.) Pigeon Forge  10.) Fairview  Class 2A 1.) Riverside  2.) East Robertson  3.) Mt. Pleasant 4.) Smith County 5.) Milan 6.) Huntingdon  7.) Fayetteville  8.) Fairley  9.) Marion County 10.) Hampton  Class 1A 1.) South Pittsburg  2.) Union City 3.) Moore County 4.) McKenzie  5.) Dresden 6.) Coalfield  7.) MASE 8.) Gordonsville  9.) Clay County  10.) Lake County 

Class 6A 1.) Oakland 2.) Maryville 3.) Germantown  4.) Riverdale  5.) Bradley Central  6.) Bartlett  7.) Brentwood  8.) Mt. Juliet  9.) Collierville 10.) Bearden Overview: Oakland and Maryville get the top spots by default, while both will have to go through competition to make another deep run, they've both earned the benefit of the doubt.  I think the difference bewteen 3-6 is paper thin, Riverdale @ Germantown has the makings of a potential title game preview. Bradley probably has the deepest group of skill players among these 4 teams, but their achilles heel has always been line play, I need to see more from them upfront. 7-10 are all teams that will be led by good qb's and have the potential to make a deep run. I really like Collierville as a darkhorse, alot of FBS talent on the roster. Bottom line, this is the deepest 6A has been, coming up with just 10 was really hard. Predictions: Semis- Oakland over Maryville, Germantown over Brentwood. Championship- Oakland over Germ

Week 10 Maryville @ Alcoa: " The Battle of Pistol Creek" is one of the most iconic rivalries not only in this state, but in the entire country. These 2 storied programs have combined for 38 state championships and 1500 and coaching legends on each side. This will be their 95th meeting Brentwood Academy @ Lipscomb Academy: Might be the most anticipated match-up in Division II. This game will have no shortage of players that you'll see suiting up for Power 5 programs, BA being led by QB George MacIntyre and Lipscomb by LB Edwin Spillman. Milan @ Peabody: One of the oldest rivalries in the state going back over 100 years, this game is now a region game. This will be the 103rd meeting bewteen these 2 programs Bradley Central @ Cleveland: Another contest of county rivals with alot of history, this game has elite skill players all over the field. This game will look like Arena football with the amount of points scored. Centennial @ Page: IMO, this game will be the deciding fac

Week 8 East Nashville @ Cane Ridge: Game that features two of the best teams in metro that bring a physical style of play. Surprisingly,  this the first match-up bewteen these two programs.  Knoxville West @ Anderson County: Will be the 1st game bewteen these 2 defending state champions in 10 years. Will be West's 2nd match-up against a defending state champion in as many weeks. Henry County @ Beech: These two programs are used to playing each other but now they're in the same region. Will be a good old fashioned slobber knocker that is heavy on running the ball and solid defense.  Bartlett @ Germantown: 2 of the best Memphis area schools ( as well as 6A) face off in a game that could have big playoff implications as well as determine the Region 8-6A Champion. Brentwood @ Centennial: Match-up of two of the best teams in Williamson County. Centennial is looking for their first win over Brentwood since 2016. Oak Ridge @ Farragut: These 2 programs have met every year since 1993, i

Week 6 Beech @ Hendersonville: Doesn't feel like this rivalry gets talked about often enough, but it's one of the best crosstown rivalries in the state. This game will also have playoff implications. Won't be surprised if these 2 teams meet up again in the playoffs. Brentwood Academy @ Baylor: BA will have revenge on the brain when they travel to Baylor for Week 6. These 2 teams met in the playoffs last year with a controversial finish, propelling Baylor to its first state title in over 50 years. Red Bank @ Cleveland: A game that could feature two top 10 teams in their respective classes by the time this game happens. There will be plenty of fireworks in this contest. Oak Ridge @ Clinton: These two programs have played every year since 1970. Clinton is primed to have their best season in recent memory. Winner of this will probably be the champion of Region 3-5A.  Smith County @ East Robertson: In my opinion, these 2 teams are the front-runners to be the East representative

Week 4 Alcoa @ Greeneville: The King of 3A squares against one of the best in Class 4A when Alcoa travels to Greeneville. This will be the first time these 2 programs have met since 2012  Knox. West @ Maryville: This has been a series that has been dominated by Maryville until last year when West emerged victorious for their 1st win over Maryville since 1996.  Peabody @ Adamsville: Despite this game being in the first half of the season, the winner of this contest might be the difference bewteen making the playoffs and sitting at home.  Wilson Central @ Green Hill: Like the game above, this will have big playoff implications in Region 4-6A (which you can say for alot of games in that league). Wildcat HC Ben Kuhn was the Offensive Coordinator at Green Hill for the last few years. Henry County @ Brentwood: This game showcases two programs that represent a contrast in styles. Brentwood is going to spread it out and win with balance, HC is going to be physical and run downhill. This contr

A pre-season look at games of interest for Week 3..... McCallie @ St. Xavier (OH): One of the best in TN faces off against one of the best in Ohio when McCallie travels to St. Xavier. This will be the first match-up bewteen the 2 teams, St.X struggled to a 5-7 record last season but consistently one of the top teams in Ohio with a long track record if sending players to the NFL. Powell @ Oak Ridge: This game will go a long way into sorting out the contenders for the 5A title. OR surprised people with their scrimmage against Maryville. Powell is still a top 10 team in 5A. Germantown @ Houston: When you think of big rivalries in this state, this game doesn't instantly come to my mind, but it's an intense rivalry. This game will have significant impact on playoff seeding for Region 8-6A  Mt. Juliet @ Gallatin: Good chance this game determines the champion of Region 4-6A, at the very least big seeding implications for the playoffs  Beech @ Riverdale:  A week after traveling to face

 Diving into a Pre-Season look at games of note for Week 2..... Oakland @ Center Grove (Ind.): There are a few similarities you can draw for these programs. Both are at a similar ranking in the national polls ( Oakland at #31, Center Grove at #33), and both have dominated the 6A Class in their respective states by winning 3 titles in a row, each can also hurt you on the ground or through the air. One of the key differences is at Quarterback, where Oakland will be breaking in a new starter and Center Grove will be relying on 4 Star QB Tyler Cherry, a Duke commit. The long trip for the Patriots could play a factor as well, but all signs point to this being a great game and could be a big boost to high school football in TN as a whole. Lipscomb Academy @ Saraland (AL.): A week after having to face one of the best programs in the country (IMG), LA has to travel to one of the best programs in Alabama, Saraland. The Spartans feature a bunch of players that are getting alot of attention from

A Pre-Season look at games to keep an eye on for Week 1.... IMG @ Lipscomb Academy: It's been a long time since a team as highly ranked as IMG (top 5 in most national polls) has traveled to TN. Lipscomb will be a significant underdog, but this is a game that's winnable. Obviously a big game for Lipscomb, but also for TNHSFB. Cane Ridge @ Mt. Juliet: A match-up of two good 6A programs that have aspirations of deep runs into the playoffs. A win in a game like this is a big start to the season. Bearden @ Knox West: West kicks off its defense of their 5A title against a young but talented Bearden team. Both teams have questions that need to be answered,  this game will answer alot of them. Pearl-Cohn @ MBA: Pearl has state championship aspirations in Class 4A and we'll get to see how far along they are when they open the season. This is a series that has been dominated by MBA but PC has won 2 out of the last 3. CPA @ Brentwood Academy: BA's revamped offense gets their first

So to be upfront, 1A is an area where I don't have a great deal of knowledge. I'm gonna throw on some teams that I think have a good chance to win state...... Coalfield:  Coach Benson Napier has done a great job in his 2 seasons at Coalfield, going 22-5 despite having one of the smallest enrollments in 1A. They were thisclose to going to the BlueCross Bowl last year. They'll be one of the teams on the East side if the bracket in the mix South Pittsburg: If SP wasn't the favorite from the East to go to Chattanooga, they are now with the addition of Martavious Collins. Don't see alot of SEC commits in 1A, hard to imagine teams being able to stop him on offense or defense. Clay County: Clay County didn't mess around in Year 1 under Bruce Lamb, winning a school record 13 games and making it all the way to the 1A title game. It'll be interesting to see if they can repeat last season's success Gordonsville: Year 1 under Stephen Jackson was pretty successful wi